Paul D. Mankins, FAIA

{"version":"0.3.0","atoms":[],"cards":[],"markups":[],"sections":[[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"A proud product of the\nAmerican Midwest, Paul Mankins, FAIA, has leveraged design excellence to craft\ndistinguished spaces for lifelong learning, public art, and sustainability. He\nhas contributed greatly to his hometown of Des Moines, and he has channeled his\nsingular vision in building a portfolio of projects that supports all who live\nin Iowa. Throughout his career, he has demonstrated a keen understanding of the\ncritical role architects play in addressing the social, environmental, and\neconomic concerns of the communities they serve."]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"\u201cPaul Mankins is a serious\nvoice in a land full of flash and trendiness. He has positioned himself in the\nfield of architecture as a potent form seeker, public servant, and a socially\nresponsive practitioner, a combination not easily or often found,\u201d wrote\nLawrence Scarpa, FAIA, in a letter nominating Mankins for the Award for\nExcellence in Public Architecture. \u201cComfortable with aesthetic, practical,\npolitical, and functional issues, Paul has mapped an architectural path that is\nas didactic as it is successful.\u201d"]]],[1,"blockquote",[[0,[],0,"\u201cPaul Mankins is a serious\nvoice in a land full of flash and trendiness. He has positioned himself in the\nfield of architecture as a potent form seeker, public servant, and a socially\nresponsive practitioner, a combination not easily or often found\u201d\n- Lawrence Scarpa, FAIA"]]],[1,"p",[]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Over three decades Mankins\nhas produced a body of widely recognized public work. His projects transcend\nfunctional requirements to present users with memorable spatial experiences\nsteeped in shared civic values. His work has been celebrated with 63 design\nawards from all levels of AIA, 29 of which were for public architecture. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Following his graduate\nstudies at Yale University, Mankins returned to Iowa in 1991 and immediately\nbegan working with the University of Iowa as an architect in the offices of\nHerbert Lewis Kruse Blunck Architecture. His first assignment there was to\ncreate a screen wall that blocked the view of a parking garage. While it was an\nunglamorous project, the resulting Kautz Plaza did much more than obscure an\neyesore; it shaped a small public space for student gatherings. What was\nenvisioned as a simple screen was transformed into a place, a concept that\ncontinually surfaces in his work. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Today, Mankins is a\nprincipal at Des Moines\u2019 Substance Architecture where he oversees important\nprojects, such as the city\u2019s Principal Riverwalk Pavilion and Pump Station. The\npair of small utilitarian buildings along the Des Moines River marks the\neastern edge of the city\u2019s historic Court Avenue District and hosts a farmers\u2019\nmarket that draws more than 20,000 people weekly. The project has been a\ncritical element in spurring citizens of Des Moines to reconnect with the\nriver. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Substance has been heavily\nengaged with the Des Moines Public Library System, delivering a stunning\n150,000-square-foot central library that has served as a lynchpin in a re-envisioning\nof the entire library system. For the remarkably democratic project, a\ncollaboration with David Chipperfield Associates, Mankins conducted public\nsessions with library patrons from across the city. During the schematic design\nphase, four alternatives were developed, and patrons were invited to vote for\ntheir favorite at their local branch. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"\u201cLibrary use tripled as\npatrons returned downtown, excited about all the services and resources that\nnow were housed in this contemporary glass structure,\u201d wrote Kay K. Runge, the\nlibrary systems executive director emeritus. \u201cMany spend their entire day using\nthe children\u2019s department for programs like story hour, utilizing the library\u2019s\nhistorical records and extensive reference databases, or simply logging onto\nthe many computers to research the various topics that caught their fancy. Some\neven come just to read a book!\u201d"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Early in his career,\nMankins began collaborating with artists to produce integrated site-specific\nworks. In 2004, he was invited to join the Greater Des Moines Public Art\nFoundation\u2019s board of trustees. Later, he served as its president. Through the\norganization, Mankins has collaborated with renowned artists such as Siah\nArmajani, Alice Aycock, Jun Kaneko, and Kerry James Marshall. His efforts have\nmade public art a central component of life in Des Moines and have positioned\nthe city as a national destination for public art. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"\u201cPaul Mankins is a\nconductor at the scale of urban and civic architecture, but also a \u2018first chair,\u2019\na virtuoso in his own right,\u201d wrote Marlon Blackwell, FAIA, in support of\nMankins\u2019 nomination. \u201cWhere so many would be content to enjoy the rewards of\never-increasing private commissions, Paul has dedicated his extraordinary gifts\nto public architecture and to the greater good.\u201d"]]]]}